Bernard Youens
Bernard Youens (28 December, 1914 - 27 August, 1984) was an English actor who played Stan Ogden from 1964 to 1984. Pre Coronation Street Career Bernard Youens was born on the 28th December 1914 in Hove, Sussex, as Bernard Arthur Popley. Youens was his mother's maiden name. Bernard worked in repertory theatre in the 1930s. He married Edna Swallow in 1937. He was called up for service during World War 2 and served in Africa. In February 1944 he was wounded in the leg by shrapnel. After the war Bernard returned to acting. Bernard had the Clark Gable look to him. He also did day jobs such as a bread delivery man and publican. Bernard appeared in a few films. In 1956 he became a continuity announcer for Granada TV. He did a few minor roles in TV shows. In 1960 he declined the chance to join new TV drama Coronation Street, which was set in a Salford back street. However in 1964, 49 year old Bernard was given the role of the bone idle shirker Stan Ogden. Coronation Street 1964-1984 Bernard landed the role of 45-year old lorry driver Stan Ogden in early 1964. He started filming in about May and his first scenes aired in June 1964. Bernard played the role regularly for the next 20 years. In 1972 he suffered a heart attack and took several weeks off filming but made a full recovery. In late October 1975 he suffered a minor stroke and had to take 2 months off to recover. This was his longest absence away from the show during his 20 year tenure. Bernard was 61 years old at the time. He was absent from the show inbetween Ep 1547 - 12 Nov 1975 and Ep 1566 - 19 Jan 1976. Once he recovered from his stroke, Bernard returned to filming but his speech was slightly impaired, and his physical abilities were also slightly affected. This meant his character Stan had less dialogue and a more relaxed role, so a storyline was written where Stan and Hilda took in a lodger called Eddie Yeats, who had previously been introduced to the show in 1974 and until 1976 had made sporadic appearances. Bernard had speech therapy which eradicated some of his speech impairment. Bernard still was plagued by health problems and took a few breaks from the show in the late 1970s and early 1980s. He was still adamant that he should carry on playing Stan. The shows producer Bill Podmore received some backlash from viewers for allowing Bernard to carry on in the role. They were unaware that Bernard wanted to carry on playing Stan. The real life ill health of Bernard was written into his character of Stan as suffering from a "glass back" as Hilda said. Bernard apparently had a personal computer installed in his house in the early 1980s, however this was not confirmed. Bernard was a very smart dresser and the total opposite of his work-shy, rough character. In 1983, Bernard was 68 and his character was meant to be 61, (born 17th May 1922 originally) so Stan was still a few years away from retirement age, which would arrive in May 1987, over 3 and a half years away. As Bernard suffered from ill health, in late 1983, a storyline was written where Stan was to find out that he was born in May 1919 and not May 1922 due to a mix up at the registry office years earlier. A throwaway line was put in that Stan may have been kept back at school and his parents lost track of his age. This meant Stan was much nearer to pension age and as of May 1984 would be eligible for pension, so this would be much easier for Bernard to continue playing the role. In January 1984, Bernard attended a party with other Corrie co stars in London. In early 1984, Bernard was granted another extended break from Coronation Street, unbeknown to him that he was never to return to the show, and at the time he was presumed to return at a later date. He was taken to hospital in April 1984 after suffering from severe arthritis. He suffered another stroke in May 1984. Bernard was too ill to return to Coronation Street. He contracted gangrene and had to have his leg amputated. Just after midday on the 27th August 1984, Bernard died peacefully in his sleep. He was just 4 months away from his 70th birthday. Stan was killed off later that year, as being taken to hospital due to ill health and passing away. Refs https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bernard_Youens Category:Coronation Street cast members Category:Actors Category:Deceased Coronation Street actors